816-763-3277
Program for families of Hickman Mills students that provides monthly coaching sessions connected to a range of resources focused on reducing student mobility, promoting family stability and promotes student mental health and emotional well-being.
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Connect to health professionals for emotional and physical well-being
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Learn and practice budgeting skills
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Implement steps to stabilize housing
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Establish and commit to educational goals for yourself/your children
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Accomplish steps towards establishing, repairing/rebuilding your credit
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Commit to monthly meetings with a coach to help reach your goals.
Sound like a good match for your family?
Call or email to visit with Marshelle Lyons, 816-763-3277 x 102, marshelle.lyons@cackc.org, Keesha Hinkle, 816-763-3277 x 104, keesha.hinkle@cackc.org, or Shari Simmermon, 816-763-3277 x 105, shari.simmermon@cackc.org to see how Empower can support your family.
Empower Program: Real Stories
Empower family mom has three Hickman Mills teenage students. In January, Mom had to have surgery on her leg, which required she take off time from her restaurant job. Then when COVID hit, the restaurant shut down. With no job, and no money to pay bills, Mom was feeling stressed and worried. In June, Mom agreed to participate in CAC's Empower Program. She began receiving food monthly from CAC's pantry and assistance with her utilities, bills, and job referrals weekly. In August, she started a job in janitorial services at UMKC. With job referrals, references, and continued contact with her case manager, she expressed much appreciation for that support. With Empower and CAC direct funds, the family's housing has been stabilized, utilities have been maintained, and initial expenses with her new job were covered.
Ms. Jordan
Empower family mom has three children and works full-time to make sure her bills and family are taken care of, which falls right outside of the guidelines to quality for SNAP and other related benefits. One of the main goals she has set up for herself is to obtain her high school diploma. The mom made sure she submitted an application for a HiSet program and just completed a placement test. The adult education coursework will be online, so CAC gifted the client a laptop. The client really believes that it is time to make a change and set her children up for success, which starts with her being an example for them now.
Anonymous
Mom is a mother of eight children; five attend school in the Hickman Mills School District. She stopped working just prior to the COVID pandemic due to being pregnant and having a difficult time with her pregnancy. As the months went by, she found herself behind on rent and utilities. She contacted agencies in her area for assistance with rent and utilities, and agreed to join the Empower Program in July 2020. With job referrals from her case manager, Mom was offered a job at IT Renew, where she will be working as a stocker. She will soon be ready to move onto her next goal: earning her GED.
Ms. Terry
Empower family mom of three children is employed part time with CVS. She receives mental health services through Rediscover Mental Health. She meets with her therapist once a month and meets with her Family Stability Empower She has gone on to say it feels as though she gets a mini therapy session in between the meetings she has with her therapist. Overall, when the parents feel they are more stable whether it's mentally or financially, it will affect the children's overall emotional well-being.